Accessing a ventricle of the heart can be necessary for a number of procedures including, for example, mitral or aortic valve repair or replacement, or repair of an atrial or ventricular septal defect. There are multiple methods for completing such procedures, however many such methods involve cardiopulmonary bypass. In particular, open chest, sternotomy bypass methods are currently preferred for many such operations. Such sternotomy methods, however, may exclude certain patient populations including those with comorbidities (obesity, diabetes, bleeding disorders) that may significantly impact survival rates during such procedures. Such risk may be so high that surgeons may choose not operate on such patients.
Moreover, the ability to stabilize a beating heart and allow hemostatic access via the apex of the heart may effectively allow the physician to perform repairs to the heart. In some procedures, such as transapical aortic valve implantation, device placement may be more accurate than percutaneous transfemoral procedures. Additionally, non-sternotomy methods such as a subxyphoid approach may provide a less traumatic procedure for the patient than sawing through their sternum.
Accordingly, improved devices/methods of accessing a ventricle of the heart are desirable. In particular, procedures that do not require a sternotomy or that the patient be placed on bypass are needed.